As any elk hunter knows, once the shot is made, the real work begins. There\u2019s a huge animal on the ground, and all that fresh meat isn\u2019t going to quarter and pack itself out.<\/p>\n
Sarah Eloranta and Jessie Wilson knew they had a challenge after they almost simultaneously dropped cow elk in some of Wyoming\u2019s gnarliest terrain and thickest timber in the Snowy Range above Centennial recently.<\/p>\n
They had just filled their Type 7 early-season rifle hunt cow elk tags after traveling from their homes in Wisconsin for their long-anticipated \u201cgirls only\u201d hunt.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like this \u2018yay\u2019 moment\u201d right after the elk are shot,” Wilson told Cowboy State Daily. \u201cAnd then you look at each other and it\u2019s like, \u2018Oh crap,\u2019 thinking of all the work that lies ahead. But once you get into it, it\u2019s just a matter of getting the job done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Traveling more than a mile each way, much of it scrambling over fallen timber, they traversed between the kill site and their camp three times before all the meat was secure.<\/p>\n
They shot the elk late\u00a0in the day Aug. 16, so it was well after dark by the time the work was done, Eloranta told Cowboy State Daily.<\/p>\n
They got turned around in the dark a couple of times, adding untold distance to the packing, but all\u2019s well that ends well, she said.<\/p>\n
![\"Jessie](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Girls-only-hunt-MixCollage-30-Aug-2026-07-56-AM-4255-8.30.26.jpg\")
Jessie Wilson packs elk meat out of the Snow Range mountains near Centennial during an early-season cow elk hunt. It was unusual pursuing elk in thick timber in the Snowy Range mountains above Centennial, the hunters said. (Sarah Eloranta)\u2018It\u2019s A Way For Us To Bond\u2019<\/p>\n
Eloranta and Wilson grew up hunting white-tailed deer and other game in Wisconsin.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ve also been in the West for some big-game hunts but never in Wyoming. So, they were excited about the prospect of seeing some new territory and perhaps filling their elk tags.\u00a0
Eloranta said she\u2019s hunted mostly with her husband and family members. But changes in their work schedules have made it difficult to line up out-of-state hunts with him.<\/p>\n
And because she\u2019s been trying to find ways to inspire more women to get into hunting and fishing, inviting Wilson to Wyoming for an elk hunt seemed like a good way to gain new experience and set an example.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a way for us to bond,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Though the demographics of hunting are shifting more toward girls and women, it\u2019s still a male-dominated sport, Wilson said. So she, too, welcomed the opportunity to be a source of inspiration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI tell other women not to be afraid,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a scary thing to start doing.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added that men who hunt typically aren\u2019t sexist\u00a0and many are eager to share knowledge with newcomers.<\/p>\n
Plan For Success<\/p>\n
Experienced hunters frequently tell greenhorns that planning can make all the difference.<\/p>\n
Eloranta agreed and said she started well in advance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hunt started well before we even got out there. Lots of research went into picking out the Wyoming elk tags to apply for. There was lots of time spent looking over maps, figuring out where the elk had been, and checking for access,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
They settled on a place in the mountains where they could camp and hunt on public land, eliminating the need to ask for access to private property.<\/p>\n
![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Girls-only-hunt-MixCollage-30-Aug-2026-07-56-AM-2974-8.30.26.jpg\")
Sarah Eloranta dropped this cow elk in thick timber in the Snowy Range mountains above Centennial during an early-season hunt on Aug. 16. (Sarah Eloranta)\u2018A Lot Like Hunting Deer in Wisconsin\u2019<\/p>\n
On previous western hunts, they\u2019d been in areas with sweeping vistas\u00a0where finding game was often a matter of scanning vast tracts with binoculars. And being prepared to make long-distance shots.<\/p>\n
The country in the mountains above Centennial was a different story.<\/p>\n
In such thick forests, it was frequently difficult to see much more than 100 yards. And finding elk was more a matter of figuring out where they were going to be and when.<\/p>\n
Eloranta said they did some hiking and scouting before the hunting season opened, looking for signs of elk and tempting spots, such as small open meadows or water sources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe country up there is beautiful. But it\u2019s a different style of elk hunting than what I\u2019m used to, because it\u2019s thick, dark timber,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lot like hunting deer in the woods of Wisconsin,\u201d Wilson added.<\/p>\n
Patience Pays Off<\/p>\n
The first couple of days were fruitless but hardly wasted.<\/p>\n
Wilson said at one point they heard a bull elk bugle, but it was impossible to get the location in the timber.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew we were in elk country,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She also enjoyed seeing moose, including a gigantic bull.<\/p>\n
The Snowy Range has one of Wyoming\u2019s most robust moose populations.<\/p>\n
Through sheer persistence, they found a small, open overlook on a knob that looked like a likely place to at least catch a glimpse of elk moving through the timber below, Eloranta said.<\/p>\n
When the moment came, it came quickly, and they made their shots, one right after the other, from about 60 yards.<\/p>\n
Once the meat was all packed back to camp, “Man, it was awesome, because we were able to overcome that challenge together,\u201d Eloranta said.<\/p>\n
She added that as a mother of two boys and a girl, she looks forward to mentoring a new generation of hunters.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy daughter is only 6. I can\u2019t wait to get her started on all that outdoors activity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n